Queensland councils will share in $8.9 million of funding for a range of projects to help drive the economic recovery of Queensland communities impacted by bushfires, including the installation of smart water meters in drought-prone areas.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud, said nine projects across seven Queensland councils had been approved in the third round of the $36.8 million Local Economic Recovery Program (LER), jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
“The Queensland Bushfires of late 2019 were a part of one of the worst bushfire seasons Australia has seen,” Mr Littleproud said.
“The devastating effects of the fires have been exacerbated even further by the COVID-19 pandemic, so I am pleased this LER funding has been committed to help communities, local economies and natural areas recover.
“By investing in community spaces, tourism, water infrastructure and our local environment, these nine projects will create jobs, help communities recover and improve future resilience.
“[The] announcement brings the total projects approved under the LER Program to 27 with a total value of more than $26 million.”
Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA), Steven Miles, said projects approved in this round included upgrades to community facilities, water infrastructure and environmental revegetation projects, as well as the installation of smart water meters in drought-prone areas.
“The Queensland Government is focused on delivering its economic recovery plan for Queensland, and this $8.9 million will be a real boost to our ongoing efforts to ensure community recovery from the bushfires as well as economic stimulus for COVID-19,” Mr Miles said.
“All of these projects have been chosen by their local communities to provide economic benefits across each local region that will contribute to their recovery and longer-term resilience.
“We know from experience that recovery is most successful when it is locally-led and supported at the state and federal levels, and that is exactly what we are doing with this program.”
For a full list of approved projects under the third round of the LER Program, please visit https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/91324
The LER Program is open to local governments and Queensland Government departments and agencies for projects in the Bundaberg, Gladstone, Gympie, Ipswich, Livingstone, Lockyer Valley, Mareeba, Noosa, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba local government areas.
